A 24-year-old daycare teacher in Temple, Texas, has been arrested and charged with a felony after allegedly causing a brain injury to a 3-month-old boy in her care. Jasmine Collum, an employee of Ignite Learning Academy, was taken into custody on Tuesday evening following an investigation into her conduct at work the previous week.
The Temple Police Department, in collaboration with Child Protective Services, initiated the investigation late on Oct. 16. The inquiry began after the infant was reported to be unusually lethargic at the daycare center and was subsequently taken to Baylor Scott and White McLane Children’s Specialty Clinic.
According to the police, the child had been dropped off at Ignite Learning Academy around 8 a.m. that day. By 4 p.m., the infant was showing signs of unusual lethargy, prompting a call to emergency medical services. The decision was then made to transport the child for medical attention.
While the police did not initially disclose how they identified Collum as a suspect, the details of the third-degree felony case are disturbing. Surveillance video footage from inside the daycare center reportedly showed Collum handling the infant in a manner described as “aggressive.”
Local NBC affiliate KCEN reported that the video showed Collum “swinging and bouncing” the baby so forcefully that the child appeared to be a “rag doll.” The alleged abuse continued even while the child was in a bouncer, ultimately resulting in a brain injury.
Court documents revealed that Collum allegedly rocked the bouncer back and forth with such force that the baby fell over. She then reportedly lifted him up by his head and continued the abuse. At one point, Collum is said to have hit the baby roughly on the back before placing him back in the bouncer. She then allegedly bounced the child with her foot until he appeared “limp and unresponsive,” before reporting his condition to her employer.
Under Texas law, a third-degree felony injury to a child occurs when a person intentionally or knowingly commits the offense. As of Friday, Collum remains in custody at Bell County Jail with a bond set at $125,000.